Many times I catch myself thinking in terms of facebook statuses. You know... something clever, witty, well-written and worthwhile to share with the world about my everyday, mostly good existence. Maybe a quote that speaks to me or an inspirational video like the baby with the brand new cochlear implant who hears his mother’s voice for the first time and breaks into a face-splitting grin. But today if I was writing a facebook status it would be, “Thank you to the homeless woman on the Riverwalk who reminded me to eat the elephant one bite, or 50 cents at a time.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the old, often-repeated joke—“How do you eat an elephant?” Wait for it...”One bite at a time.” Ba duh bump! What wisdom in these words. Face the big problem and then begin solving it today, right now one small step at a time. Don’t run away from it or think it to death (as I have a tendency to do), but make it disappear bit by bit and bite by bite. An easy concept to understand but not so easy to practice. And then I got schooled by the previously mentioned homeless woman as I was walking at my typically fast pace in the Spring Break crowd on the San Antonio Riverwalk.

Where there is a city, tourists and a holiday, there will be homeless people—a sight we don’t readily see in our comfortable North Texas suburb. My 12-year-old is equal parts fascinated, horrified and heart-broken as she sees one after another. Okay, she’s actually more heart-broken because her heart is a soft one. I don’t do a great job explaining how or why some people end up being homeless or asking for money, and leave it with, “Listen to your gut Aubrey. Help if you can and always be grateful for all that you have.” Then after passing a small group of homeless men who shoot my guard up with their comments, a woman meets my eyes with a steady gaze and asks, “Do you have 50 cents you can spare?”

Her skin was tanned and rough from days in the San Antonio sun, and she could have been anywhere from 25 to 55 years old depending on how long she’d been out in that sun. But her eyes... Her eyes were bright blue and focused totally and completely on mine as she asked her question without shame or manipulation. “Do you have 50 cents you can spare?”

I reach in my pockets as I continue my fast pace and honestly don’t have 50 cents. I tell her so while looking back over my shoulder. As I turn forward to continue on I hear her ask another tourist, “Do you have 50 cents you can spare?” Then the lights come on and the lesson washes over me all in a matter of about 5 seconds. Needless to say, I step to the side of the crowd and dig in my purse until I find 50 cents, which I walk back and hand to her as I meet her eyes without pity or judgment. She thanks me then focuses on the next tourist.

What is it about this encounter with the homeless woman that has me remembering her and wanting to thank her in a facebook status? How could 50 cents possibly help and why didn’t I give her more? The fact is, she demonstrated some life lessons that I most need to learn.

First she focused on me totally with “singleness of heart” (a phrase I love from the Book of Common Prayer because it blasts multi-tasking out of the water). Then she asked for exactly what she wanted in that moment. When I initially declined to oblige, she moved on without anger or bitterness and focused on the next tourist. When I gave her exactly what she asked for she thanked me sincerely and again focused on the next tourist. Bite by bite, or 50 cents at a time, she was solving her problem as she saw it by focusing, making a specific request, continuing on when things didn’t work out and being grateful when they did.

So there you have it. That’s why I want to thank her and immortalize her in a facebook status. Although I don’t know her name, the Universe does and must be pleased with Her magnificent teacher disguised as a homeless woman on the San Antonio Riverwalk.